territory
noun
ter·ri·to·ry
ˈter-ə-ˌtȯr-ē 
plural territories
1
a
: a geographic area belonging to or under the jurisdiction of a governmental authority
b
: an administrative subdivision of a country
c
: a part of the U.S. not included within any state but organized with a separate legislature
d
: a geographic area (such as a colonial possession) dependent on an external government but having some degree of autonomy
2
a
: an indeterminate geographic area
b
: a field of knowledge or interest
3
a
: an assigned area
especially
: one in which a sales representative or distributor operates
b
: an area often including a nesting or denning site and a variable foraging range that is occupied and defended by an animal or group of animals
Examples of territory in a Sentence
Those mountains are in Mexican territory.
Guam is a U.S. territory.
The birds are busy establishing territories and building nests.
Male cats spray to mark territory.
The goal of the expedition is to map unexplored territory.
Recent Examples on the Web
Greenland, which is now an autonomous territory in the Kingdom of Denmark, remains strategically appealing to the United States.
—
Katie Hunt, CNN, 15 Mar. 2025
The Knicks and Golden State Warriors tip off for the second time this season on Saturday night — which means Draymond Green will once again find himself in familiar territory.
—Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 15 Mar. 2025
Palestinian official says no fuel left for wells For two weeks, Israel has barred the delivery of food, fuel and other supplies to Gaza’s roughly 2 million Palestinians, and cut electricity to the territory a week ago, to pressure Hamas to accept the new proposal.
—Samy Magdy, Los Angeles Times, 15 Mar. 2025
The Context Supporters of Trump's proposal see it as a way to try to change the unending cycle of wars and ceasefires in the territory that is ruled by Hamas, an Islamist group that is committed to destroying Israel.
—Mark Davis, Newsweek, 15 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for territory
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Katie Hunt, CNN, 15 Mar. 2025
The Knicks and Golden State Warriors tip off for the second time this season on Saturday night — which means Draymond Green will once again find himself in familiar territory.
—Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 15 Mar. 2025
Palestinian official says no fuel left for wells For two weeks, Israel has barred the delivery of food, fuel and other supplies to Gaza’s roughly 2 million Palestinians, and cut electricity to the territory a week ago, to pressure Hamas to accept the new proposal.
—Samy Magdy, Los Angeles Times, 15 Mar. 2025
The Context Supporters of Trump's proposal see it as a way to try to change the unending cycle of wars and ceasefires in the territory that is ruled by Hamas, an Islamist group that is committed to destroying Israel.
—Mark Davis, Newsweek, 15 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for territory
Cite this Entry
“Territory.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/territory. Accessed 20 Mar. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
territory
noun
ter·ri·to·ry
ˈter-ə-ˌtōr-ē
-ˌtȯr-
plural territories
1
a
: a geographic area belonging to or under the control of a government
b
: a part of the U.S. not included within any state but having a separate governing body
2
a
: an assigned area
a sales representative's territory
b
: an area that is occupied and defended by an animal or group of animals
Legal Definition
territory
noun
ter·ri·to·ry
ˈter-ə-ˌtōr-ē
plural territories
1
: a geographical area belonging to or under the jurisdiction of a governmental authority
2
: a political subdivision of a country
3
: a part of the U.S. (as Guam or the U.S. Virgin Islands) not included within any state but organized with a separate legislature compare trust territory
territorially
adverb
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